Veils of the Sky
by Waltz of the Lotus
Summary: Alternate Universe::The world of Dib's dreams is filled with ghastly things, and as he is cast away into it permanently, he finds that his dreams might be more of a reality than the other world was. Co-written with Bagatelle.
1. Prologue: Tears of Blood

There came a time when he found himself unable to stop thinking of water.

Rain. It was everywhere. When he walked, he would see it, even if it wasn't there, dripping from the trees and the buildings, as though they were melting. As though there was something beneath them, trying to burn its way through its own exterior; to melt away the buildings of his world, and break through into the splendor of Earth.

To breathe.

And he could only see it; could only watch and marvel at it. It was like melting crystal, dripping and running and splashing. It was beautiful, and it was everywhere. He never told anyone about it; his secret world, where there was water on everything, and the sky was brilliantly shining as the endless downpour came, falling and covering but not drowning anything. Not robbing the universe of air.

It was there to breathe.

Sometimes he would go out in the middle of the night; up atop his roof, dancing in the invisible rain, soaking himself in it and smiling. No one else could see it, so no one else knew.

It was his secret. The only one that he had.

It had never rained before. Not like _that_. This rain was pure and not recycled; new every time. Like the sky's eyes filled with tears and released them, endlessly falling from a hidden supply. Like angel's tears.

That was what he thought the invisible rain was. Angel's tears. The tears of his mother.

He slept upon the sea, the waves cradling him in a bed of immeasurable comfort and security. In his dreams, he saw waterfalls and bubbles; an aquatic world free of fish and not plagued by humanity. The beauty of the water was that, in all of its peacefulness, it was more powerful than anything known to man.

It was more powerful than he was, and he knew it.

So he rode with it, unable to control the sensation of its guidance, and he thought of his mother, and how she had loved him, and how he had loved her.

And he smiled as it washed over him, warm and loving and blue.

* * *

But the water had changed.

It had started to fall in sheets of red, dripping and splashing as puddles of blood. The buildings were no longer melting. They were bleeding.

And that was when he had realized that the thing that had brought him so much happiness was not a pure bath from the heavens…it truly _had_ been tears. The tears of the Earth, before the wounds split open and allowed the pain to flow freely.

He had been soaked in blood, unable to stop it, unable to stop seeing it.

And then he had cried, and no one had known why.

_The Earth was dying_.

And he was the only one that knew.


	2. Ganazala

Dib was asleep, but his eyes were open. He could feel something pulsating deep within his brain; at the core of his mind. Something was taking things from him.

Something was taking away the memory of life.

_No!_ he screamed at it, trying to force it away. He couldn't move his body. Thinking the word made his head sear with white-hot pain, but he didn't care. He thought it again. _No! No! No!_

_Quickly! Finish it!_ Someone else's voice. In his head? How would someone get into his head?

_I'm trying, okay?!_ Yet another stranger's voice. He glanced around; yes, it was definitely coming from inside of his head. There was no one else in the room with him.

Wait…what room?

Dib tried to blink, but nothing happened. His entire body was frozen. He didn't seem to need to breathe. _Am I dead?_ he wondered, hit immediately afterward with another surge of mind-splitting pain. That strange throbbing continued, but the pace was quickening. The second stranger was working faster.

_No, you're not dead_, the first voice said. Now it was talking to him. Was it trying to calm him down? Dib didn't know. But for whatever reason, it felt natural and all right. It didn't feel out of the ordinary.

But, after the rain, what _was_ ordinary?

A painful, explosive snapping noise filled his ears, and Dib was suddenly able to move again. His back arched on impulse as he gasped for breath, his eyes shut tightly. Blood trickled out of his left ear, and he was suddenly aware that he was dry.

_Too dry,_ he thought, and this time, it didn't hurt.

He opened his eyes, praying for sight, and he realized that it had finally stopped raining. No longer did the sheets of red envelop him. He was drifting on the sea again, although it wasn't dampening his body. His skin seemed to have a natural repellant over it. He was glad for it.

Groping for his glasses, he found them resting on his chest; a rather unusual place for them. _Who moved them?_ he wondered, though the question was quickly forgotten.

He was no longer in his room.

_But I fell asleep there,_ he thought defiantly, turning around and looking. The sea was below him, that wasn't unusual…but instead of the blue-green walls of his room, there was only a sky. A vast, black, starry sky, free of clouds. The rain was over.

_But why?_ he wondered. _Why did it stop so suddenly?_

The bloody sea below him wasn't moving. It was calmer than anything Dib had ever seen, and the silence brought with the calmness was almost deafening. He blinked hard, and instead of tears falling from his eyes, blood fell and joined the sea. Dib's heartbeat quickened. _What's going on?_

Breathing hard, he looked directly below him. Never had he seen so much red. How deep was it, he wondered? Carefully, he lowered his hand into the blood. His fingers disappeared, then his hand. A strange sensation met his fingertips; like there was another hand beneath the blood, touching his own. The fingers stroked his palm, searching for a place to grab hold. Dib didn't resist. He was used to other things determining his fate. The hand found Dib's wrist, and, pulling gently, guided him into the sea. Falling limp, Dib obeyed. He had nowhere else to go.

Blood flooded his lungs, and he closed his eyes.

* * *

_Whump_.

"Ow…" Dib shook his head, propping himself up on his hands. He rose to his knees, pressing a palm against his forehead as he glanced around. "Where am I _now?_" There was no rain here, nor a sea; rather, the landscape was filled with long, yellow grass, like fields of the Midwestern United States. Blinking, Dib struggled to gather his bearings as he searched for something familiar. But nothing here seemed welcoming. There was only the grass, rustling quietly in the wind, and the sun, beating down upon him from overhead. There were no more stars, either.

Deciding that he was going to get nowhere by simply standing among the grass, Dib pushed it aside as he started to walk through it. "There must be a town somewhere near here," he decided (thinking rationally was something that he had always had an easy time doing). "I'm sure that they'll have a phone, and then I'll just call Dad—"

"What the—?!"

Dib was thrown to the ground for the second time in five minutes as someone pummeled into him, knocking him in the stomach as she scrambled to her feet. He coughed for breath, his eyes squeezed shut. The girl brushed herself off and knelt on the ground, looking around quickly before tending to Dib. He looked up at her weakly. She was panting and sweaty.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice quiet and urgent. Her amber eyes were strangely familiar to him, but he couldn't grasp who she was. _Is that what those voices were taking from me?_ he wondered dazedly, searching for his name. _My memories?__ Why can't I remember anything…?_

"Dib," he mumbled. "My name is Dib."

"Ganazala, but my friends call me Gaz," she growled, holding out her dirt-streaked hand. The name pinged in his mind, but he didn't know why. He shook hands with her and took a moment to look her over, struggling to remember why she looked so familiar. Her violet hair hung at her shoulders in greasy strands, pushed behind her ears messily. Her bangs hung in her face. She had wide amber eyes, similar to Dib's own, and her face was pale, like his. She looked to be about a year younger than he was.

She blinked. "What are you staring at?" she asked huffily, turning around to glance at the grass again. Her eyes found him again. "I've been running."

"So I can see," he murmured. Her black dress was stuck to her back with perspiration, her small breasts heaving with every breath she took. The sleeves of her loose gray shirt were rolled up, revealing sunburned arms. Stains from what was either food or blood (Dib guessed the latter) decorated her black boots and striped pink leggings. "May I inquire as to what you were running _from?_"

Gaz swore under her breath and rose to her feet, looking at the grass intently. She was searching for her stalker, no doubt. She growled. "A horrid woman, she is," Gaz mumbled, returning to Dib's side. "Violet's assassin, Takkit. She's been following me for the past four days. _Four days!_ And all because Zim just won't freaking show up when he's supposed to…"

Dib blinked. It was a strange feeling, being unable to grasp these names that sounded so familiar to him. Gaz glanced at him, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I've never seen you before. Where did you come from?" she asked.

"I…I'm not sure," he replied truthfully. She blinked at him accusingly.

"What does _that_ mean?" she asked. "What, did you fall from the sky or something?"

Dib lowered his head, embarrassed with himself. Gaz cocked her eyebrows at him, thinking. Then her eyes widened. She leaned closer to him, as if examining his face. "Did you _really?_" she whispered, awe audible in her voice.

"Not if it's going to get me killed or put into a crazyhouse," Dib replied, looking back at her. She blinked, her eyebrows raised. She looked very impressed with him.

"Oh, not at all!" she replied amazedly. "The sky…you came from Simartia? From Beyond the Veil?"

Dib's head started to swim. "I…I guess so."

"The human world. The Veil of Rain," Gaz said, sounding patient now. Her breathing was slowing down. Dib had a feeling that she had forgotten about Takkit. He nodded. She grinned excitedly, her eyes flashing. "Wow," she murmured, shaking her head. "That's amazing. I've never been there before. I thought that it had disappeared by now."

"But…you're a human, aren't you?" Dib queried. Gaz laughed.

"Oh, no. I'm one of the rejects. See, I'm a half-breed," she said, holding up a strange-looking amulet that was hanging around her neck. It was shaped like a skull. "This thing lets those Veil workers know that I'm not allowed into Simartia. My mom was an angel, you see. I'm from A Long Time Ago, when humans and the people of this world were still allowed to correspond. My dad was a human; an inventor. He would trade his inventions for the valuable books and foods that were available only here. But then…things got out of hand, and my dad had to leave back to Simartia forever."

"What happened?" Dib asked, his curiosity getting the better of him now.

"The few humans that were allowed over here were stealing wildlife and selling it for big profits over in Simartia. Violet and Crimson were afraid that the humans in Simartia would want to come and invade this place, so they banished the humans and installed the Veil workers; little things that get into your head and take away all of your memories when you're either going here or to Simartia, so you can't reveal any of the secrets of this land that you think you may know, and so you can't tell anyone here about Simartia. When you go back to Simartia, your memories of there will be restored, I think."

Dib's heart sank. So _that_ was why he couldn't remember. The Veil workers had taken away his memories of his life in Simartia.

Gaz blinked. "Do you remember what Simartia was like? I know it might be hard," she urged, her eyes pleading. "But I'd like to know what it's like. I have a feeling that I'll never go there."

"I…the only thing that I can remember is rain. Rain and blood," he replied, pushing his raven spike of hair out of his eyes. "I don't even know how I wound up here."

Gaz deflated. "Oh…that's sad," she murmured, sounding sincere. She blinked at him, her eyes questioning. "You look like me, sort of. I guess that's why you thought I was human, huh?"

"Yeah," Dib replied, smiling weakly at her. She smiled back. "I—"

Gaz started, whirling around and clamping a hand tightly over Dib's mouth. Hugging him against her body, she rolled into the grass, to a place where they were hidden from view. He looked at her, his heart beating rapidly.

"What's going on?" he whispered through her hand. She pulled it slowly away.

"Be very quiet," she ordered, her eyes wide and fearful as she searched the sky above them. "I heard something."

The wind rustled the grass again. _But wait,_ Dib thought. _Is that really the wind?_

_No_.

Gaz sniffed, as though trying to smell their predator. She looked back at Dib, their amber eyes locking.

"Takkit's here."


	3. Takkit and Zimbrit

The pair lie still for a moment, listening.

Rustle, rustle.

She was coming.

"We have to get out of here," Dib hissed, staring into Gaz's fearful eyes.

They narrowed. "I've been running for four days straight. If I can't outrun her in that time, what makes you think I'll be able to do it in any _other_ amount of time? There's no way. Besides, she's an Irken, so she has those stupid mechanical leg things. She cheats."

"Well then, we can fight her!" Dib mumbled. "Do you have a weapon of any kind?"

Gaz blinked, as if Dib had said something utterly insane, but she sighed. Lifting her dress up slightly, she pulled a machete out of a scabbard around her waist. It was long and dulled with use, and had a few stains on it from its last encounter with a villain. "Will this do?" she queried. "It's not very sharp…"

"It's fine!" Dib said through clenched teeth, ducking as something flew over them. Gaz swore.

"Damn! She brought Mimus with her…" she hissed, readying her blade. "I'm going to kill that thing…"

"Is Takkit powerful?" Dib asked quietly, listening for any more disturbances in the grass. Gaz nodded.

"Oh, yes. She's deadly," she replied, rising slowly out of the grass. Dib grabbed her dress, startled.

"What are you doing?! She'll see you!" he spat, tugging on her outfit, trying to pull her back down. Gaz snickered.

"That's the point."

Dib rose, too, not wanting to be the cause of Gaz's lonely death. He looked around, struggling to see anything that would hint toward Takkit. Gaz brandished her knife, her eyes narrow and concentrated.

Suddenly, she screamed. Dib whirled around and was faced with the red eyes of a small black cat; it stared at him for a moment, processing something, then it hissed and whipped away, flying through the air like a shadow. The pair looked up. There was who Dib guessed correctly to be Takkit. She had green skin and angry, purple eyes, with a matching purple dress that bore a strange symbol on the front, along with red leggings and black boots. A long black cape billowed behind her, attached, or so it seemed, to her puffy black sleeves. She boasted a tall violet witch's hat, two curling black antennae peeking out from underneath it. She grinned, exposing zipper-like teeth.

"_There you are!_" she screeched, jerking around in midair. She made a movement that was similar to someone reaching for their toes, but instead of grabbing them, she held her palms out and started talking fast under her breath. Her gloved hands glowed with energy. A small monocle moved itself in front of her right eye, to help her aim her spell at the two on the ground.

"Get down!" Gaz yelled, tackling Dib again. A ball of light soared at them, turning the grass and the earth three feet down into dust. Dib gawked at the crater in horror while Takkit screamed at her poor aim. Gaz rose and readied her machete again.

"You have to run while she's distracted!" she ordered, her eyes on Dib. Dib looked up at her, confused. "You're here for a reason! The Veil workers wouldn't have let you through if there wasn't something serious going on!"

"But Gaz, you're—"

"Going to be just fine!" Gaz hissed, turning back to Takkit, who was jerking around again. The Irken thrust her cat at the girl, who was ready. She met Mimus in midair with her blade, hitting it hard in the side. She hadn't been lying, and neither had Dib's eyes; the blow only wielded a small amount of blood on the animal's part. However, it howled in pain, alerting Gaz to the fact that she had broken some of its ribs. She gritted her teeth in concentration.

Dib stared up at her, unsure as to what he should do. He didn't want to leave his new friend here to die; who knew what dangers lie out there, hidden in a world that he knew almost nothing about? The other people might not be as friendly as Gaz. He didn't want to risk that.

Narrowing his eyes, Dib collected a small handful of stones from the ground around them, standing up again and hurling one at Takkit as she readied another spell. She shrieked in anger and pain, clapping a hand against her arm. Tears leaked from her eyes. "You stupid _bastard!_" Gaz hissed, turning back to him. Her eyes were wild and angry, but Dib could see that deep inside, she was grateful that he hadn't left her alone. He threw another rock at Takkit; this one hit her in the head. She screeched again.

"Throw your knife at her!" Dib ordered, trusting Gaz to aim truly. She nodded and obeyed, heaving her weapon at Takkit as hard as she could.

The Irken's eyes shot open. "_I'm not that easy!_" she hissed. Four long, jointed, mechanical legs shot out of the small, spotted pack on her back, one of them easily batting the flying machete aside. The blade landed in the grass somewhere with a dull thudding noise. Takkit cackled evilly. "_Ganazala, you're so stupid! I told you I'd find you and kill you! Now, just for resisting, I'm going to kill you nice and slow!_"

"You'll never lay your hands on me, Takkit!" Gaz shouted back, though now without a weapon to boast, her claim had little validity. Her fists clenched and unclenched in frustration as Dib scanned the grass, searching for the spot where the knife had landed. _Please, _he thought desperately. _We need a miracle. Where's that 'Zim' guy Gaz was talking about earlier?!_

Takkit smirked, holding her arm out straight. She pointed at Gaz, a blue light appearing at the tip of her finger. "_You're right!_" she snickered, "_I won't!_"

Gaz gritted her teeth audibly, and Dib inwardly cursed himself.

"_Violet will be most pleased!_" Takkit cackled, the light growing larger and brighter. "_He's been so angry with you ever since you stole the Black Solvent! Oh, how he's going to reward me—_"

"Augh!"

Another Irken sailed into Takkit, sending her flying off into the grass. Dust flew up behind her, and she shrieked in rage, her feet over her head. Dib looked up at this new addition to their group, in slight awe. He was wearing an outfit similar to Takkit's, only his was made up of mostly red, and his cape was white. His pants were purple.

He laughed.

"Okay, Gaz, I'm here!" he shouted, looking around in the grass for her. He spotted her and Dib, and hesitated only for a moment.

"Reckless," Gaz mumbled, lowering her head. "That's Zimbrit, but he prefers to be called Zim. He's Takkit's opposite, sort of; Crimson's assassin. He's headstrong and a bit stupid, but he's a nice guy once you get to know him."

"So does that mean you work for Crimson, too?" Dib asked quietly. "I mean, since you two are friends and all."

"I work for whoever pays me," Gaz replied stiffly.

Zim landed in front of the two of them, nodding at Gaz before turning suspicious eyes upon Dib. "Who's this?" he growled. Zim sniffed, as Gaz had done so, earlier. They seemed to be able to determine species by doing that. "He smells like you."

"His name is Dib, and he's a human, but keep _quiet_ about it," Gaz murmured, looking at Zim urgently. Takkit had floated back up above the grass again, searching furiously for them. Mimus whimpered at her side, wounded. Zim's eyes widened. "Help us fight Takkit off, and I'll explain everything to you later."

"All right," Zim mumbled, his own mech legs shooting out of his pack. He flew into the air and started ramming into Takkit; she did the same, both of them flying at each other and rebounding, meeting each other in the middle with flashes of light. Zim laughed; Takkit screamed in frustration.

"Takkit's faster than Zimbrit, but he's stronger," Gaz explained as Dib watched the two battle, in awe. "So when they're fighting like this, Zim always wins. That's why he's not using magic. If he did, Takkit would beat him, easy."

Zim swung one of his mech legs around and caught Takkit off-guard, sending her pummeling into the ground again. She shrieked, this time in pain. He cackled. "Go home, Tak!" he ordered, his hands placed triumphantly upon his hips. "We've won! Go back and report to your _leader_ about your loss! I'm sure he'll be most _infuriated_ with you!"

"_Go to hell!_" Takkit screamed, giving Zim a sour look. But that was all that she could do. Picking up her cat in defeat, she gave Gaz and Dib one final loathing look before flying away, her antennae drooping considerably.

Zim beamed down at the two on the ground, and they smiled back. He swooped down and landed in front of them, smirking victoriously.

"Okay, Gaz, now tell me, who's this joker here?" he prodded, poking Dib in the chest. Dib swayed, but didn't fall down. Zim grabbed his wrist and tapped on his arm with two fingers up to his shoulder, then let go. "He seems a bit flimsy for a human. He looks like you, too. I thought humans were supposed to be muscular and big! This is stupid."

"You put too much faith in legends, idiot," Gaz growled, although Dib could hear a sort of fondness in her voice. "Not all humans are big. My father wasn't."

"Yeah, well, that was a long time ago! Times change, so do people. It's called _evolution_," Zim growled, still eyeing Dib warily. Gaz rolled her eyes.

"It's called _evolution; the thing that takes millions of years_. Not hundreds, Zimbrit, my dear," she said, pushing her face into Zim's. The Irken blinked, his eyes narrowing.

"I told you not to _call_ me that!" he growled furiously. His eyes quickly lost interest in Gaz and focused once again on Dib, who had wandered off and was searching through the grass for Gaz's machete. "What's he doing now?" Zim growled, ever-prodding. Gaz growled at him.

"Shut up. He's just looking for my knife," she mumbled, defending her new friend. Zim pouted while Dib found the blade, picking it up carefully and handing it back to Gaz, who accepted it gladly.

"Thanks, Dib," she said, smiling. Zim blinked.

"Dib?" he asked. "What kind of a stupid name is _Dib?_"

"What kind of a stupid name is _Zimbrit?!_" Gaz snarled, lashing out and slapping Zim. The Irken glowered, rubbing the side of his face and casting menacing looks in Dib's direction. Dib just blinked, unsure as to how he should feel. Zim seemed to want to be naturally hostile toward him. _So be it, _Dib thought, shrugging and looking over at Gaz again. She was looking for something again.

"Where's Girgant?" she asked, looking at Zim accusingly. "You didn't tie him up to a tree and leave him again, did you?"

"_No_," Zim mumbled, still pouting. "He's just stupid and forgot where we were going when we were halfway there."

"Oh," Gaz replied, as though this were not an unusual response. She looked up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the sun. "Well, he should be here by now, shouldn't he? I mean, usually it doesn't take him _this_ long to find you again. He's not _that_ stupid. Hmm…maybe he found an animal to chase."

"Who's Girgant?" Dib asked, earning himself another angry look from Zim.

"Girgant is like Mimus, only he's a dog, whereas she's a cat," Gaz replied coolly, making a gesture at Zim. He nodded and held his hands out, murmuring a few words. The grass around them shortened considerably, and they settled down in the shade of the rest of the field. "He's Zim's partner. He's supposed to help out with assassinations, but he's too _lovable_ for that sort of thing."

Zim snorted, floating in front of the pair in a cross-legged position. "Yeah," he mumbled sarcastically. "_Lovable._"

Dib sighed, running his hands through his sweaty hair. He suddenly realized how hot he was, and took off his trench coat, casting it aside for later. "I wish that I could remember Simartia," he murmured, resting his chin in his hands. Gaz clapped a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"It's all right, Dib. Eventually you'll leave here, and you'll get it all back again," she said. Dib closed his eyes behind his glasses.

"Yeah…" he sighed. "But…you seem nice. I don't know if I want to forget about you. I don't think I had any friends in Simartia."

"Well…maybe you can stay here?" Zim suggested, a bit more compassionate now that Gaz wasn't teasing him.

Dib nodded. "But…it's going to be hard to decide," he said. "I have to choose between two different lives in two different worlds…I don't think that would _ever_ be an easy decision."

"I don't think so, either," Gaz said.

She and Zim watched Dib sit and think until he finally fell over out of exhaustion, to sleep in the grasses of a foreign land where all of the strangers were familiar.

And he dreamed of the sea.


	4. Travelers

Dib woke up to find that Zim had fallen asleep beside him, curled up in a fetal position, his thumb in his mouth. His gloves and boots had been cast aside into what was now a small pile of clothing. Gaz had taken off her boots, as well, and she had been courteous enough to remove Dib's for him while he slept. The boots were all aligned neatly, though the rest of the clothes were unfolded and messy.

Gaz was still awake, though the sky was dark. In her lap was settled a small green dog, its pink tongue hanging out of its mouth, its eyes shut happily and its tail wagging. Dib smiled.

"Is that Girgant?" he asked, crawling forward on his hands and knees. Gaz nodded, smiling up at him.

"Yeah. Zim hates him, but I think he's cool," she murmured. Dib stopped, suddenly noticing something…odd.

"What's on his chest?" he asked, pointing at a silver tag. But it wasn't a tag; it was a zipper. For that matter, there were stitches up the front of his head…and since when were dogs green?

Gaz snorted. "Oh. Well, you see…Girgant and Mimus aren't real animals. They're actually SIRs; little robots that _disguise_ themselves as animals. They're all over the place here. Sometimes it's hard to see the difference between the real animals and the SIRs. Since Mimus and Girgant are domestic SIRs, Takkit and Zim had to make their costumes for them…and Zim didn't do a very good job. So, Girgant is stuck with the zipper."

Dib snickered. "That's kind of funny."

"Oh, yes," Gaz agreed. "It's very funny. But don't say anything to Zim about it. He'll freak out."

Dib nodded, smiling at the green puppy. From what he could remember about dogs from rooting through his faded memories (the Veil workers seemed to have missed a couple and slacked on a few, fortunately for him), Girgant seemed cuter than most other dogs. He wondered how the SIR looked without his costume, but set the thought aside for later.

He stretched his muscles and leaned back on his palms, glancing at Zim. "He sleeps in a funny way," he murmured. Zim's antenna twitched. "I wouldn't expect such a fierce warrior to suck his thumb."

Gaz giggled. "Fierce warrior. _Right_, Dib."

Dib smiled and looked up at the sky, trying to see if he could find any constellations. He found a few that looked familiar, but he couldn't remember their names. He still smiled, though. The stars were still beautiful to him. Gaz looked up, too, blinking. There was no moon, so the only light came from the faintly glowing stars.

"Where are we, Gaz?" Dib asked, looking down at her. "I mean…what's the name of this land that we're in? I know that the human world is Simartia, but here…what is it?"

"This land is called Nus'ehtfo'Sreat. This is Crimson's land. Across the sea, where Violet lives…that's called Noom'ehtfo'Sreat. You can call them Nus and Noom for short," Gaz explained, stroking Girgant's green doggy head. "This world, though…this world is called Zeuq'Sav. You can't shorten that."

"Zeuq'Sav," Dib repeated. It was a strange word, but all the same, it sounded okay. He cocked his eyebrows. "Is it a part of Earth?"

"Well, _yes_, I would think so," Gaz said, giving him a puzzled look. "I mean, we _are_ connected to Simartia, aren't we?"

"I don't know," Dib mumbled. "I haven't lived here all my life."

"But you lived in Simartia, and you came here."

"But I don't know how that happened. It could just have been a flaw in the Veil or something."

Gaz grunted and looked away, not in the mood to argue. Girgant stirred on her lap. Zim's antenna twitched again.

"The sun should be rising soon," she murmured, glancing at Zim. She smiled weakly. "He's such an idiot. I can't believe that he left me alone for four days. I could have _died_. What's his problem?"

"Maybe he's just a little…slow," Dib suggested, joining her in staring at the Irken. Zim kicked in his sleep. "You know. Maybe it takes him a little longer than normal to understand things."

"Possibly. But it's irritating, nonetheless. And he's suspicious of everyone that I meet, especially males," Gaz said, smiling broadly now. "I think he might have a crush on me."

"I wouldn't blame him," Dib replied, looking up at the violet-haired girl. She looked to him, a little startled. "I mean, you _are_ pretty amazing. You stood up to Takkit, and you were willing to fight her off while I ran. I don't think there are many people who would do that."

Gaz's face flushed. "Well, it's not like I haven't done it _before_," she murmured. "Anyway, other people have stood up to Takkit. It's just…most of them have died."

"Hmm," Dib said, glancing up at the sky again. Gaz hadn't been lying; he could see the sky to his left starting to brighten. His female companion rose, and Girgant immediately woke up, flying over and attaching himself to Dib's leg.

"You're awake!" the SIR screeched, squeezing his new friend. "And you smell funny!"

"He's a human, Girgant, remember?" Gaz whispered. "I told you that earlier. Now be quiet, dear…Zim is still sleeping."

Girgant nodded, his tongue flapping around in the air in time with his movements. Dib smiled and rose, as well, joining Gaz in looking around. "Where are we?" Gaz murmured to herself. "I don't remember…I just left Egrid, so…we should be near Ikuyim…" Dib blinked. None of the names were familiar to him. She turned to him and stuck out her bottom lip, prodding Zim with her foot. "We need to head southwest. That's in that direction," she said, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder. "If we keep walking all day, we should reach Ikuyim by sunset. After that, it's only an hour's walk to Mount Atnegam…that's Crimson's castle. The people in Ikuyim won't be too suspicious of you, because they aren't able to smell things very well…but Crimson will know what you are the minute that he meets you."

"Why do we need to go and see Crimson?" Dib asked as Zim rose sleepily from the grass. The Irken rubbed his eyes. "I mean…can't we go exploring for a while first?"

"Exploring?" Gaz laughed. "Dib, I've lived here all my life and I still am surprised by the things that I see every day. If we went exploring, we wouldn't ever finish!"

"Oh," Dib said, a bit awestruck by that idea. Just how vast _was_ this world…this _ZeuqSav?_ Was it larger than Simartia?

Zim prodded Dib in the side with a sharp finger, making the human boy jerk away in startled pain. "Hmm," Zim said, as if in deep thought. "Good reflexes."

"Cut it out, _Zimbrit_," Gaz growled. Girgant flew over and perched upon Zim's shoulder while his master collected his clothes from the pile, haughtily jamming his witch's hat on his head. Dib pulled his trench coat and boots on while Gaz replaced her own, and she explained to Zim her calculations.

"Oh, not _Crimson_," Zim moaned. "That crotchety old fool?"

"He's _your_ boss, Zim," Gaz said, a hint of laughter in the tone of her voice. "And besides, I need to give him Violet's gift."

Zim blinked. Girgant squealed happily for no visible reason. "You mean Takkit wasn't lying? You really stole the Black Solvent?"

Gaz smiled mischievously, reaching into her pants pocket. Dib and Zim watched in awe as she pulled out a small, crystal vial; within it was a dark liquid, emanating shadow. "The Black Solvent," Gaz said quietly, "More commonly known as 'The Dead Man's Night'. Has the power to engulf the world in darkness. It's been said that the person who drinks it will live forever…but that their life will be filled with darkness and horrible misery."

"Why does Crimson want it, then?" Dib asked, confused. "I mean…who would want to live a life of eternal misery and darkness?"

"There are some people that are so desperate," Zim murmured shadily. Girgant nodded, a wise expression on his puppy dog face. Dib and Gaz exchanged an uncertain look as Gaz put the vial back into her pocket. She turned around, looking to the southwest.

"Well, let's get going, then," she said. "We've got a long walk ahead of us."

The day had proved to be warm, but it was rather windy out. Gaz shivered every time the wind blew, Dib had noticed, so he gave her his trench coat out of concern. "Thanks," she had murmured. Zim had given Dib a sour look, but the human just shrugged, as if to say, "I have no interest in her." Zim had left him alone after that.

The three of them walked in a line; Gaz in front, her machete at the ready; Dib next, serving as a lookout; and Zim in the back, prepared to cast a spell at any second. Girgant hopped and flew through the grass happily, swooping and screeching as he chased butterflies and small birds. Dib wondered, watching, if any of the other animals were SIRs.

The sun beat down upon their heads, but the wind was cooling and relaxing. Dib found his mind wandering, and he tried once again to find the memories that he had lost. _Who was in my family? Let's see…I remember that I had a father, but…did I have any siblings? A pet? Any cousins? What about a mother? And…school…I can't remember having any friends…but there was someone, wasn't there? There was someone who hated me above everyone else…what was his name?_

"Why can't I remember anything?" Dib whispered, frustrated with himself. Gaz looked back, blinking.

"What was that?" she asked. Dib shook his head.

"Nothing…I was just…thinking."

"You can't remember anything, can you?" Zim asked, amused. Dib shook his head. "Nothing about Simartia…I suppose that means that the Veil workers are doing their jobs. Crimson will be happy to hear that, I'm sure. Even though it _is_ quite unfortunate for you, Dib. I'm sorry that you can't remember your home. But…why are you here, anyway? How did he get here, Gaz?"

"We don't know, Zim," Gaz mumbled, hacking grass out of the way. "He can't remember."

"But you _must_ be here for a reason," Zim said, running ahead and walking alongside Dib. The human looked to the Irken, a little happier that he wasn't picking on him anymore. "I mean…no pure-bred human has set foot in Zeuq'Sav in…over seventy years! The gods must have sent you, I'll bet…was there something wrong in Simartia that you can remember about?"

"The only thing I remember about the way that Simartia looked was that there was rain everywhere, all the time," Dib murmured, staring into Zim's bright red eyes. "I think that I was the only one who could see it. I liked it because of that."

"Rain all the time?" Zim asked, blinking. "That's the first sign that the Veil is taking you. You see rain that no one else can see."

"But then there was blood," Dib said, his eyes saddening. "A whole lot of it. The rain turned to blood."

"The sea of blood?" Gaz asked, stopping for a moment and looking over her shoulder. Dib nodded, and she turned around again, continuing on her way. "That's perfectly normal, as well. The books say that first the rain comes…then, when the Veil workers are doing their job, there's the sea of blood. Then the Angel guides you down through the sea and the sky, and down to Zeuq'Sav."

"No, no," Dib said, shaking his head. "There was the sea of blood, yes, but…before that, the rain itself became blood. It was raining blood."

"Raining blood?" Zim grunted, his eyes widening slightly. "That's not normal. Maybe _that_ has something to do with why you're here."

"I remember that…when I saw the bloody rain…I got a feeling that the Earth was dying. Like it was bleeding from its eyes. The rain itself had been tears, but the blood…was its wound," Dib murmured, looking at his toes as he walked. Zim murmured something under his breath.

"That's the strangest thing I've ever heard," the Irken said. "And I've heard a lot of strange things."

"Me, too," Gaz said. "It's not normal for the Earth's wounds to bleed."

The trio walked in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds coming from Girgant, who was still flitting through the grass. The dog screeched, then flew into Zim's head, clinging to it and rubbing his face against his master's skull. "Master! I love you!" Girgant sang, his little pink tongue still dangling from his mouth. Dib couldn't help but smile. Zim, however, just rolled his eyes and groaned.

"_Gods_, this beast is annoying," he mumbled, though Dib could tell that he didn't really mean it. "Out of all the SIRs, I had to be blessed with the stupidest one."

"Oh, come on, Zim, you know that's not true," Gaz laughed, still hacking away at the grass before them. "He has his smart flashes…and so do you."

"…That's not funny!" Zim spat, narrowing his crimson eyes at his friend. Dib snickered at their fighting. The Irken turned his angry gaze upon the human boy. "What are _you_ laughing at?"

"I just—"

"Hey! What's that up ahead?"

Dib and Zim looked to where Gaz was gesturing with her knife. Instantly, Dib's eyes widened, and so did Zim's…for before them lie a great glass ball, strangely similar to a snow globe. Dark clouds danced in the top half of the ball, ironically dropping snow upon the small stone building settled upon the grassy hill. The grass in the sphere was much greener than the grass that the trio was currently standing in, or at least what was visible of it. There was a good foot of snow already settled down upon the grass, although the path leading to what Dib guessed was the door into the snow globe was neatly shoveled. Zim blinked, dumbfounded, and let out a throaty noise of disbelief.

"That…it's a glass ball!" he said, utterly surprised. Gaz cocked her head to the side, pushing her hair behind her ear again.

"But…how did it get there? I've never seen anything like it before, and I've lived here for…gods…over a century!" she exclaimed, puzzled.

Dib blinked. "It's…it's snowing in there. How is it doing that? It feels like summer out here!"

"Oh…I think it's a Weatherball!" Zim said, moving toward the strange structure. Not wanting to be left behind, Gaz and Dib followed closely.

"What's a Weatherball?" Dib asked, stumbling over uncut grass.

"What do you _think_ it is?" Zim laughed, giving the human a look that plainly stated, "I think you're stupid". "It's a ball, and inside of it, you can manipulate the weather to suit your mood at any time! I've read about them in Crimson's library."

"Who do you think it belongs to?" Dib queried, trying to see the top of the great, glass ball. Zim snorted.

"Always with the questions, eh, Dib?" Zim teased, smirking. "Gods, I'm _never_ going through the Veil to Simartia. It makes you stupid."

"The gods know that we wouldn't be able to handle you if you were any more stupid than you _already_ are, Zimbrit," Gaz snickered. She sheathed her machete as they neared the sphere, looking over her shoulder once before running on to catch up with her friends.


	5. Violet

"Master Violet wishes to speak with you, Takkit."

The purple-eyed Irken looked halfheartedly up at the monstrosity that had come to beckon her to her lord's quarters. The beast was not of Takkit's species, although she was rather familiar with its looks. It was a child of Err'Bakam; Violet's chosen form of magic, more commonly known as "black magic". It was an incantation given a shape of its own. It was hideous, and Takkit was sick of looking at it and its kind. They were like moving mounds of bile, squelching along the floor with every step that they took. Their stench was almost unbearable, although Takkit no longer complained about that. The scars on her hand were enough of a warning.

Takkit sighed. "Where is he?" she growled at the Erbak. The stupid thing looked confused, as if it hadn't known that it would be asked such a question. Takkit's short temper quickly effused, and she glared at Violet's creation, wondering not for the first time if it was capable of feeling pain of any kind. "Where is Master Violet?! I need to know where he is before I can go to him!"

A bubble sprouted on the Erbak's head, as if to show that it was thinking. The bubble burst, and Takkit looked upon the beast with loathing in her dark eyes. "Master Violet is in his bedchamber."

Shaking with anger, Takkit rose from the chair she was sitting in, glaring at the beast. "Leave," she commanded. "I can find my own way."

The Erbak obeyed.

Stupid, worthless things, Takkit thought, trudging out of her room and making her way along the dark hallways of Violet's palace. She had walked through them hundreds of times before, so she was familiar with everything that she passed. No torch, no painting was a stranger to her. But none of them were very welcoming, either. Nothing about Noom'ehtfo'Sreat was very welcoming at all to Takkit, save her own bedchamber.

The brim of her hat flopped in her face, and she batted at it with frustrated hands. She folded her arms, trying not to think about why she was being summoned to her master's bedchamber. She knew it well, though, and it mocked her for that reason.

Violet was going to kill Takkit for her failure, for all that she knew.

Takkit reached the proper room, touching the doorknob with a bit of apprehension. Quickly running over her thoughts, she came to the conclusion that running away now would only bring her more pain than she was already going to get. So she sighed, pulled open the door, and let herself in.

The room was dark, as was most of Violet's palace, dimly lit even though there were blazing torches set in all of the walls. The black bricks of the walls and the dark tiles of the floor did not reflect the light well. Takkit stepped inside cautiously; she had only been into her master's bedchamber once before, and she could remember that time very well, along with the pain that it had brought. But she could not remember how the room had looked back then. Possibly it had looked very much the same as it did now.

She wandered over to a small desk and sat in the chair, knowing how Violet preferred to look down upon those that he was speaking to (which would have been the case even if Takkit were standing up, for Violet was very tall, indeed). Takkit glanced at the table, taking note of all of the books that were cast messily about on the tiny surface area. _If he puts any more books on this desk, it will surely collapse in on itself_, she thought dully. One rather thick book, however, caught her eye, and the Irken female picked it up, flipping it open to the first page in slight interest. The title of the book was written on the top of the page:

****

Probing the Membrane of Science

By Alexander Membrane

That loony inventor, Takkit thought, smirking. She remembered him from A Long Time Ago; he had been nice to her and sold her the hologram device that she still used to make Mimus's disguise. Despite the fact that she liked to think about her old friend, Takkit set the book back down in its proper place, knowing that Violet would grow even angrier with her if he caught her looking at his books. For all Takkit knew, that book held the secret of life in it. _It's better not to look at things that you don't understand;_ that was Takkit's second rule. _Kill first, ask questions later;_ that was her first.

She sighed and leaned against the table, clutching her aching head. Where was Violet? He was never late when he called Takkit in for something serious like this. Unless he was—

"Already here?" came a toneless, amused voice from behind Takkit. The Irken female shuddered; it frightened her sometimes, the extent of her lord's powers. "Yes, Takkit. I'm already here. I've been here the whole time, in fact."

"Begging forgiveness, my lord," Takkit murmured, feeling cold hands resting on her shoulders. She held back a wince; she hated to be touched because it reminded her of Zimbrit, and Violet knew that well. He thought that it showed a weakness in the female. So he touched her whenever he had the opportunity, as if trying to cure her of her phobia by giving her an overdose of it. "I was simply—"

"Trying to amuse yourself while you were waiting for me," Violet finished, his thin fingers stroking Takkit's neck gently. Takkit struggled to think pleasant thoughts. "I know, Takkit. Now tell me…how did your recent venture go? You were gone for nearly a week, although I trust it was not very successful, judging from your weakened expression and tense shoulders and…overall _lack_ of our dear friend, Ganazala."

"Please, Lord, forgive me, for I did my best," Takkit mumbled, loosening her muscles. "Ganazala was simply—"

"Faster than you," the Witch hissed, squeezing Takkit's arms. Takkit's temper was short, but Violet's temper was even shorter. "She always is, Takkit. You never catch her in time, because you like to play with your food. When you're finally at her heels, that damnable hellion Zimbrit always shows up to save the day; that I know from experience. I also know from experience that you're fearing what I have in store for you as punishment for your failure, even though you don't yet know what it is."

Takkit shivered, hating herself for not expecting something like this. "With respect, Sir... your punishments are made to be feared."

"Yes, dear lady," Violet replied, releasing his henchwoman's shoulders and walking slowly around into her field of vision. "In that sense, you understand what I've been trying to teach you over these long years of servitude. The point is to always succeed! That way, you won't have to fear these punishments of mine! Your physical blows are too weak. You need to work on that. I told you that the last time that you did this, Takkit, and the time before and the _time before! I'm sick of all of your failures!_"

Takkit closed her eyes and lowered her head into her chest, wishing that she hadn't been born. Wishing that she in her younger days hadn't been so foolish. Her small hands clenched and unclenched around her pointed elbows; the old scars ached anew.

"…You're trembling, Takkit, my dear."

Oh, no.

She forced herself to look up into the cold eyes of her master; into the bottomless violet pits that stared forever back at her, unblinking. Air wheezed in and out of his nose, his breathing fast and angry. His long antennae bent down and hung near his shoulders, twitching in frustration. His black robes were drawn tightly about him, though his green hands were visible through the sleeves.

Violet snarled, showing his perfectly white teeth. "Zimbrit should be _no match_ for you, Takkit. I know that, and you know that. He is a foolish creature with next to nothing on his mind…and that is the only reason why I take mercy on you, even now, Takkit. I know that if you would only try harder, you would be able to do great things for both Noom and I. But if you fail me again, my faithful servant, I swear that I will _not_ hesitate to bless you with damnation. Do you understand me?"

Takkit looked away, fearing that tears were close by.

The taller Irken grabbed her face and pulled her over so that their gazes locked again, Violet's eyes burning with rage.

"I said; _do you understand me?!_"

"Yes, Lord, always, Lord," Takkit choked, struggling against tears. That would only enrage Violet more.

He glared at Takkit, his fingers digging into the lesser being's flesh. Interest slowly seeped from his eyes, and he released his henchwoman, turning around to a swish of his robes. His bald head lowered, sending his piercing gaze to the floor. His hands linked loosely together behind his back. "You've worked for me for almost all of your life, Takkit. I've known you since you were a child. I've been cruel to you, punished you to no end, and sent you on exhausting missions almost every single day. Why is it that you keep coming back to me? Why don't you simply run away when I send you off somewhere? Why don't you go to Anorok or Naelures or Nus, or even back to Kri? I know that you are quite fond of the gambling corner; you go there during your free hour and bet on wrestling matches."

"Because, Sir," Takkit breathed, praying for her life, "you have given me a place to live. Food to eat. A bed to sleep on. You are almost like a father figure to me. In my eyes, I have nothing out there. I don't know how to live on my own. You are all that I know, Sir. You and Noom, and my job."

"Well…maybe you should pick up a book someday and learn about other things," Violet muttered, sounding almost sad for Takkit. "It might help you keep your life for a while longer."

Takkit said nothing. She knew that it would be wrong to do otherwise. Violet was in one of his moods. It was almost always best to say nothing when he was like that; Takkit knew. She touched the scars on her hand, shuddering. They still ached. They always did when her lord was upset. It was like a curse. _No_, Takkit thought, _it _is_ a curse_.

Violet sighed, and the female started, her fingers knitting together quickly so as to lessen her master's suspicion. Takkit looked to the floor, wanting to be back in her own room.

"Tell me, Takkit," Violet muttered, "would you like to go…to Simartia?"

His henchwoman blinked, coldness flooding into her eyes. "No," she replied without hesitation. She coughed wetly.

"And why not?" Violet queried, sounding only dimly interested. "You don't believe in the stories that the Angels have told, or in what the marketers from A Long Time Ago have told their children? About the Land Beyond the Veil being a place of eternal bliss and concord?"

"No, Sir. I don't want to go because I don't believe that Irkens belong in places of eternal bliss."

"And why would _that_ be so?"

"Because Irkens cause death, destruction, and are naturally reckless."

"Not very proud of your ancestry, are you, Takkit?"

"No, Sir."

"Have a reason?"

Takkit swallowed, shutting her eyes briefly. "Because it is my choice."

Violet was silent for a moment, thinking, then nodded. "So you would rather believe that your people belong in a dark world rather than in the cities of light that the holy men and women speak of. That is…a sad thing, Takkit. Truly it is."

The female said nothing in response. Her head was lowered, her bones throbbing inside of her skin. Her eyes were cold.

"You wish the blackness upon your love?" Violet asked, his voice very, very quiet.

Takkit coughed wetly again, anger flaring inside of her. Her lord sensed it and looked over his shoulder at his henchwoman, curious. "I wish not to speak of him. It hurts me so," Takkit muttered, a distinct waver in her voice.

Violet sighed sadly, sounding almost disappointed in Takkit. The Irken female wondered dimly if she should tell him about the new addition to Ganazala's group.

"…Go down to the library, dear lady. Read books. Gaze out the window and wish that you were happier," Violet murmured, and though she loathed him with every fiber of her being, Takkit couldn't help but feel a little guilty. "The gods know that I do."

"My lord," Takkit whispered, her frail body still trembling violently. "I apologize if I have angered you—"

"_Go to the library, you hell-bound traitor!_" Violet roared, sweeping around with his hands held out. Takkit cringed away, expecting the pain of her master's strike…but the taller Irken didn't touch her at all. He flew at her and then stopped, his hands held out like a Zombie's, the palms at least a foot away from Takkit's chest. But the minion felt her ribs bend under the invisible pressure, anyway, and she was forced backwards and into the door. She cried out in pain as her body twisted into an unnatural position.

"_Please, Master!_" she cried, squeezing her eyes shut. She could feel his hot rage pressing against her bones, trying to break them. He wouldn't care if she died. "_There was another one there! Someone else helping Ganazala!_"

The pressure lessened.

"_He…he was a human! A HUMAN!!_"

"A…a human?" Violet breathed, his voice angry and detached. "You're lying. You _must_ be lying."

"_I swear to you, Master, I'm not!_"

The pressure stopped.

Takkit ran out of the room, gasping for breath, and the door slammed shut behind her.

She clutched at her chest, knowing almost immediately that one or more of her ribs had cracked from the force of Violet's spell. Back in the room, she heard something smashing to the floor, enraged screams following soon after. Her lord was angry again; it would be a wise decision to leave. Takkit trusted her instincts and walked quickly away, fighting back her pained sobs.

Her hands and ribs throbbed dully with every crooked step that she took.


	6. Spoon Skrotchet's Weatherball

Zim felt around a small area for a moment before he found the trapdoor, which he pulled open quite easily. Girgant, who had been quiet during his master's search, squealed with delight as the cold air rushed out at them. Gaz shuddered and clutched the trench coat tighter about her body.

"Well?" Zim asked, blinking at his companions. "Are we going in?"

"How do we know that there's not something in there that's going to eat us, or possibly kill us in some other horrible way?" Gaz demanded, her amber eyes narrow and angry.

Zim laughed. "We don't! That's the fun of it!"

And with that, the Irken swung himself up and onto the neatly shoveled path of the snow globe's stone house. Dib shrugged and scrambled after him, and Gaz came next, although she groaned reluctantly before she started climbing. "I just escaped almost certain death yesterday…I'm not in the mood to go _asking_ for trouble," she mumbled, folding her arms across her chest.

The snow felt soft and cold against Dib's skin as he walked; a new experience after the warm rains of Simartia. He looked up at the clouds, wondering briefly if they were real or just illusions of the strange structure that they were in. They swooped and churned as the snow fell upon the travelers' heads.

Did somebody dream this snow? Did they imagine it before it was solid? Or did they see it, like my rain? Was it only there for them?

Dib turned away from the clouds and the painful questions, rubbing the goosebumps off of his arms. Zim kicked the thin layer of snow aside, traipsing up to the door of the stone house as though it were his own. Behind him, Dib could hear Gaz murmuring spiteful things about Zim, but he made no gesture to show that he heard; Gaz deserved some privacy after being stalked for four days. So the human boy dashed forward, grabbing Zim's cape and pulling him back. The Irken glared.

"What do you want, _human?_" Zim sneered. "You smell bad, you know that? You smell like garbage in our clean world."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Dib growled. "I can't really control the way that I smell, though, now can I? I apologize for the fact that my species' odor is not suited to your tastes. Jesus! You know, you're very rude."

"_Rude?!_" Zim hissed, lashing around and grabbing Dib by the collar. He slammed his back against the rough wall of the house, making Dib's spine tingle in pain. "Look here, _Dib_…I've seen more in my life than you could ever imagine, you damned human…who are you to judge my pain?! You can't even remember what your own life was like before yesterday! You come along, trying to act like you're so tough…well, guess what, bastard? I'm not falling for it! Until you prove yourself, you're _dirt_ in my eyes, got it, Dib?!"

"Zim, put him down, _now!_" Gaz yelled, giving Zim a good, hard shove. The Irken fell into the snow, his arms and legs sprawled out at his sides. He twitched and shuddered, kicking himself back into an upright position.

"Sorry," he muttered, brushing snow off of his outfit. He gave Dib another sour look as Gaz reached up and pulled on the great knockers, letting them swing back and alert the dweller of the house of their arrival.

"Hello?" Gaz called, squinting up at the windows in the upper level. "Whoever's in there…we won't hurt you! We just want to see you!"

Dib, drawing his eyes away from Zim, joined Gaz in looking to the windows, his eyes straining to find something foreign. They watched for about twenty seconds before an Irken head leaned out. Red eyes similar to Zim's blinked down at them, confused. This Irken was rounder than Zim or Takkit, though.

"Yes, what do you want?" he asked, his voice audibly nervous.

"We'd like to come in and visit with you for a while!" Zim called. Girgant waved. "We have money…if you have some food that you could give us, that would be nice, too…and possibly, could we ask for the use of your shower, good man?"

The Irken in the window pulled back for a moment out of shock, then stuck his head back out. "Oh, well, I suppose so…I mean, you _do_ look rather tired…" Dib nodded in agreement. "I…err…well, all right, then. Come on in, the door's unlocked."

Gaz smiled at Zim as she pushed the door open. "See, Zim? I enjoy your company _so_ much more when you're not scowling at everything and yelling."

Zim was quiet. He and Dib followed Gaz into the strange little house, neither of them looking in the other's general direction, or even thinking of doing so.

* * *

The house was vast and grandly decorated. Chandeliers carved out of pure diamond hung from every ceiling, the floors made only of the finest stone; smooth as metal. Swirling, swooping columns scaled the walls and supported the ceiling and the soft white stairs. Everything was white and holy looking, just like the snow. Even the fine paintings that decorated the walls were of pale women with white hair and white attire. The trio stared at everything, their eyes adjusting to the sudden shift in their environment slowly but surely. As they gawked, a small, white rabbit with a light blue bow tied to its right ear came bounding down the stairs, wielding a small tray. It stood before them on two feet, offering them the tea and biscuits upon its tray.

"Please!" the SIR squeaked, smiling pleasantly. "Master Spoon offers you this welcome, free of charge. The showers are up the stairs and to the left. Please stay as long as you wish."

"Thank you, dear," Gaz said, taking up her cup of tea. Dib and Zim quickly followed suit. "What's your name?"

"Master Spoon calls me 'Sonora'," the rabbit responded, turning bright blue eyes upon the female of their party. "You may call me by that name, as well, if you wish."

"All right then, Sonora," Zim said, allowing a smile to spread across his own face. "Could you tell your master that we would like to speak with him?"

"And I would like a shower," Gaz claimed. The rabbit nodded and took Gaz's hand, leading her back up the stairs with her. Sonora looked over her shoulder once.

"You may stay in the sitting room while you wait for my master to come!" she said. "It's right behind the stairs; feel free to look through one of the books! We have quite a vast library!"

Then she disappeared from view.

Dib ignored the Irken and walked into the sitting room as Sonora had suggested, stopping for a moment to view the room in full. All of the books had white bindings, upon which the titles were written in gold letters of a strange language. Zim pushed past Dib, glancing at one of the books. He set his tea down on a glass table, situated in the middle of the room and surrounded by many chairs of different shapes and sizes.

"Ah," he said, cocking his eyebrows. "They're written in the language of the Magi. I don't think humans can read that, unfortunately."

"No," Dib growled darkly, hiding his hands in his pockets as he wandered over to a huge white armchair. The human settled down in the fabric, gloating over his lack of intelligence while Zim picked out an interestingly-titled book and brought it back to his own seat. As Zim sat down to read, Dib sipped at his tea, trying to ignore the lovely feeling of calm that it spread throughout his body.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Gaz had showered, and Dib was feeling better, the strange remedial tea having calmed his nerves. Girgant was sleeping quietly in Zim's lap, his master deeply involved with the book he had chosen from the shelves. Dib was lying with his eyes closed, his arms dangling off the sides of the chair; he was considering just letting his head loll back and taking a nap. Gaz watched him, amused.

He fights sleep well for someone his age, she thought, her fingertips pressed together in front of her face as she pondered. Her eyes narrowed cattily, and still Zim remained immersed in his book, unaware of the world around him. She looked at the title, mildly interested;_ Kigam'Kalb'fotra'Eht._ _The Art of Black Magic._ _He _would_ read something like that_, Gaz thought, smirking.

She glanced toward the door when something green caught her eye; it was the short, squat Irken who owned the Weatherball. He was wearing a faded yellow uniform, and his unsure eyes were accented by a small pair of spectacles. His antennae twitched uncertainly as he stepped forward, examining his guests. He wrung his small green hands as he settled into a chair, smiling weakly. "Welcome to my home," he said quietly. Sonora rushed in, presenting her master with a cup of tea. Her master took it gladly and sipped at it with shaking hands. Zim looked up from his book and slammed it when he realized who had come into the room.

"Thanks," he said quietly, setting his book down and picking up his tea. Gaz nodded.

"Yes, thank you," she said.

Dib blinked the sleep out of his eyes, looking at the bespectacled Irken. The fat creature had cast his big, curious gaze upon him. "Thanks for letting us into your home," Dib murmured, reaching for his tea. Sonora had refilled it for him.

Their host smiled weakly. "My name is Spoon. I apologize if I seem a bit fidgety…I always have problems around strangers."

"Oh, not at all!" Gaz laughed, grinning pleasantly at their new friend. She had tied her wet hair back into a ponytail for the time being, and from what Dib could see, Spoon had given her clean clothes similar to the ones she had been wearing before…or he had washed her other outfit for her. "We're very grateful toward you."

"Yes…this peppertea is very good, by the way," Zim commented, taking another sip. Spoon blushed slightly and grinned. Dib noticed that he had a few lopsided teeth.

"Ah, well…don't tell me, it's my mother's recipe. You should be thanking her," the Irken said, although Dib could tell that he was flattered. Spoon pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, taking a drink of his own tea.

"So…is this Weatherball yours?" Gaz asked, her face curious. Spoon nodded.

"Oh, yes. I love it, because I like the snow, and, well, you know…it hardly ever snows here," he said, licking tea off of his lips thoughtfully. "It takes me everywhere. I've been all over Zeuq'Sav."

"I'm jealous," Zim said, his eyes flashing. He cocked his eyebrows. "By the way…your name seems familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

Spoon bit his lips together, looking at his feet self-consciously. "Well…a lot of people know me from my name. My last name is Skrotchet…does that ring a bell?"

Gaz choked on her tea.

"Spoon Skrotchet? You mean…you're _the_ Spoon Skrotchet?!" Zim asked, his eyes huge. "You're like, the most famous Irken in all of Zeuq'Sav! You…you journey around the world in your Weatherball, seeing all the sights, trading with whomever happens to stop by…you lead a glorious life! I mean…you practically _own_ half of the Noom'ehtfo'Sreat economy! Why are you so nervous around us? If anything, _we_ should be the nervous ones!"

Spoon almost dropped his tea. He looked away almost immediately, blush returning so easily to his face. He pushed his small glasses up the bridge of his invisible nose again. "I, well…you see," he stammered, "not to be rude or anything, but I…I've noticed that you three are quite an odd band. I know two of you by reputation…your names are Zimbrit and Ganazala. Zimbrit, Crimson's assassin; Takkit's been by here many times, asking if I've seen you. And Ganazala, well…your reputation is extremely appalling, even here in my solitary chateau."

Gaz smiled, sipping at her tea. Dib glanced at Zim, who was still gawking in utter disbelief.

"But you…" Spoon said, turning to Dib. "You smell and look like a human. Oh, the gods know how much trouble I'd get into if anyone ever found out that I had a human in my home and didn't alert the proper authorities about it!" Dib fidgeted uncomfortably. Spoon laughed. "Oh, don't worry, dear boy! I won't tell on you. Not on _any_ of you. Believe me, I know more secrets than anybody else in the world, and I keep them all."

"That's very kind of you," Dib said, setting his empty teacup down.

"Yes, I suppose it is," Spoon murmured, his eyes narrowing. "But some people have come to take advantage of that. I've heard dark things; terrible things. Goings on in the Dark Country, if you know what I mean."

"Violet is plotting something?" Zim asked, leaning forward intently and making Girgant readjust himself to fit his cushion's new position. Spoon gave the trio a dark look.

"Always," he said, his tone mysterious. "Takkit has spoken of it before. I can't tell you what it is, though…the promise I make to you is a promise I make to everyone. If I break it for one person, I must break it for everyone."

"But this could mean the difference between life and death for the people of Nus'ehtfo'Sreat! Does that mean nothing to you?" Zim asked, making an obtuse gesture with his hands.

"Maybe he doesn't want to get involved," Gaz growled, looking at her friend. "If Crimson started to act suspiciously, Violet would trace his sources back to Spoon, here. That wouldn't be a good thing…even _you_ know about Violet's torture, Zim."

Dib's eyes went from Spoon to Gaz. "Is it bad?" he queried.

Zim shuddered. "I've only been to his castle once, and I can still remember those horrible sounds."

"He implies every method of torture imaginable to the poor souls who dare to defy him," Gaz said. Spoon nodded gravely, his face starting to pale. "The sick part is that he gets pleasure out of seeing them all suffer. That's why Takkit chased me all the way back here, into Crimson's land. Violet hates me, and he wants to see me suffer."

"What _are_ Crimson and Violet?" Dib mumbled. "I mean, I get the fact that they're the head honchos here, but what species are they? Are they human, Irken…what?"

"They're Irkens," Zim said. "Although they _do_ have a bit of Angel blood in them, you know…to keep them alive. A Long Time Ago, they ruled Zeuq'Sav's greatest kingdom _together_, and there _was_ no Nus'ehtfo'Sreat or Noom'ehtfo'Sreat. This island and the one across the sea were two parts of a whole kingdom, which was called Nevaeh'fo'Seye'Eht."

Gaz sighed, nostalgia flashing in her eyes. "I remember Nevaeh…it was a beautiful place, always full of wonder. I loved it so…and my mother told me that someday she dreamed of living there."

"You mean…you didn't grow up on either one of the islands?" Dib asked, a little surprised. Gaz smiled weakly.

"Oh, no…I grew up on Seraph's Isle, with the Angels," she said. "Things were beautiful there, too…but I liked Nevaeh better, because I've always liked the Irkens." Zim and Spoon both smiled. "But anyway, about Crimson and Violet…they were great friends, and fantastic rulers. But Violet always preferred black magic to white magic, and for Crimson, it was the other way around. So they constantly argued over which one was better, and, ultimately, they split the kingdom into two parts and never spoke directly again."

"That was sixty-nine years ago," Spoon said quietly. "Exactly one year after the installation of the Veil workers."

"I've always wondered…do you think that the lack of human contact made them so angry with each other?" Zim asked. "I mean…they never really fought _before_ then…and Crimson _does_ have many books about humans…"

"It's very likely that the case is just that," Gaz said, leaning forward excitedly. She brushed her bangs out of her face. "When I was in Violet's palace once, I saw that he had a map of Simartia, right next to his map of Zeuq'Sav. _Still!_ Even after seventy years! Tell me that that's not obsession, and I'll laugh at you."

"Splitting a kingdom apart simply because of a disagreement," Dib murmured, shaking his head. "The world has lost it."

"The world never _had_ it," Zim snickered sadly. The others nodded in morose agreement, not knowing quite what to say…and when Sonora came in to refill the teacups fifteen minutes later, she was greeted by silence.

The snow fell softly outside.


End file.
